An effective nondrug form of treatment for behavioral problems in children is cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is recommended for parents to practice skills proposed by the therapist with their children. When parents directly give therapy, children learn to control behavior in better ways at school, home, and most situations. Parent training is effective because they are most influential in their children’s lives. Skills that are taught include active listening and ways to get their children to talk about their feelings. Also, appropriate positive reinforcement and discipline strategies are practiced to encourage good behavior (CDC, 2011). Examples are applying time-outs and giving right amounts of attention. Some interactions between therapist and child may include play therapy or talk therapy. Behavior therapy can be time-consuming and costly in comparison to drug treatment. It usually consists of eight or more sessions with the therapist to monitor therapy treatment and progress. The AAP recommends that children around the age of 6 start with behavior therapy before beginning medications (Park, 2013). Stimulants have become a popular resort to prescribe for children behavioral issues because of its simple instructions. Taking medication is considered far easier than going through multiple therapy sessions where the entire family needs to show effort. However, behavior therapy has proven to show lasting effects to the child without the need of medication.
